Rot Problems
 

Ok, I ordered this (Phalaenopsis Monterey Imperial Orchid Mix) potting mix and went to re-pot the phal orchid that I bought a while ago. Well, it wasn't a pretty sight when I pulled it out of the pot. I went about cutting off any damaged or rotten roots, which was most of them, and then came down to what I'm assuming is basically the 'stem' of the plant below the potting media, which looked pretty rotten too. I was afraid to cut it off, as that's a little more than cutting off a root and I felt maybe I would only be helping to kill the plant quicker. So I did my best to treat it using hydrogen peroxide which I dipped the rotten part in and let it sit for about ten minutes, then rinsed it in water and coated it in ground cinnamon.

So, my question is, what should I do now? Would it have actually been safe to cut that part of the plant off? Should I pot it and hope for the best, or is there something else I can do to help the poor thing? Picks below of what the rot looks like and the roots that were left.

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/IMG_1049.png
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...n/IMG_1048.png

Don't cut the "rotten" looking part of the base of stem off. That's normal when the problem you have occurs. Leave it alone. You could end up cutting into living portions of the plant if you decided to cut it off.

Just pot it up in a clear plastic pot with medium or large grade bark and watch diligently.

Alright, well, I don't have any pure bark medium, and I'm not sure if I could quickly get any as I don't drive so my transportation options are limited. But I'll see what I can do.

The mix you bought at Repotme should be fine. Just be careful about overwatering with that much sphag in the mix.

cheer up, that plant doesnt look near as bad as some seen on here....just pot it up...soak the media first overnite...and dont water for a week, then water weekly or so....

Alright, I repotted it and watered it, so, all I can do now is watch and wait I guess. *crosses fingers*

it still has a few good roots it should be fine :) Mine were worse after my hubby had them for a little over a month they all recovered though. Phals can be surprisingly durable.

One thing I didn't mention that kinda surprised me, is that while on the top, bottom and around the edges of the clear pot, it seemed to be in moss, though on the bottom there were a few packing peanuts as well. When I pulled everything out of the pot though, I found what seemed like regular dirt and granular fertilizer in the middle of it all around the main part of the plant and roots. It's no wonder the only subterranean roots that were viable were the ones that were growing toward the edges of the pot.

Wow!

Yeah, I know. When I saw it I was like, 'What the heck is this? What on earth were they thinking when they potted this poor plant?'